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The Writer's View: PJ Sharon

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. PJ will be awarding an eBook copy of "Thin Ice" to one commenter at each stop and a $25 Amazon or BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. To see the other stops on the tour, please click the banner above.

Up until last December, I was parked on my couch with my laptop and as many pillows as I needed to keep me comfortable and supported. I think I was hell bent on being in the living room because I spend so much time at my desk, if I didn’t get to take breaks and watch TV or engage in a conversation with my husband now and then, I would feel like I was working ALL the time. I had a room upstairs that we called an “office,” but it was really a cubbyhole with a desk, an ancient computer, a filing cabinet, and stacks of junk I wasn’t using. It felt claustrophobic. I couldn’t work in that space at all. Creativity for me doesn’t happen in isolation. I need a wide open space and access to my living area. I need to feel like I’m part of what’s happening in the household, even if there isn’t much happening.

Against my better judgment, I had gotten used to hunkering down in the living room. I tried a million ways to make sitting on the couch ergonomic, but my back and neck were definitely suffering. Being a massage therapist, personal trainer, and former PT Assistant, I knew better, but I was stubbornly holding onto the idea that my productivity was attached to being in my living room.

So last Christmas, while I was at work one day my wonderful husband moved my office from upstairs down into the living room. He created a fabulous work space for me, including dual computer screens so I can work simultaneously on two projects at once, or have my e-mail on one while I write my stories on the other. It’s very easy to move from my laptop screen to the much larger screen in front of me that is ergonomically in just the right position. I must say that I’ve gotten spoiled having this feature but my neck and back pain have improved greatly.

Technically, my view includes the living room with flat screen TV, our pellet stove room which is a cozy transitional room between our living room and kitchen, and then of course our fabulous kitchen itself, where my husband plays chef and does most of the cooking. It’s very easy for us to have conversations between rooms and for both of us to feel like I’m still present, even if I am pecking away at the keyboard. However, when I need a dose of fresh air and sunshine, I can be found out on my front porch, enjoying the lovely weather here in the Berkshires and watching the hummingbirds and butterflies in my gardens.

About the Author:

I knew I would be a writer someday when I was a little girl sitting on my grandpa’s knee and telling him stories that he would help me put on paper. By the time I entered kindergarten I could already read and write, and I couldn’t wait to look up new words every morning in the ginormous Webster’s Dictionary that sat in the book case at the bottom of our stairs. I would get on the bus and ask my friends, “Do you know what pulchritudinous means?” Between that and challenging the boys to push-up contests at the bus stop, I mostly sat alone on those bus rides to school. But that just meant I had more time to make up stories.

I went on to many other endeavors in life, including the world of figure skating, and later, earning a black belt in martial arts. Though I was a mom at seventeen, I did manage to finish school and somehow made it through college, earning a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. After nineteen years, two sons, a divorce, and some fairly lean years, I found that it’s true what they say about life beginning at forty. It was about that time when I reunited with the love of my life and worked my way to owning my own business as a Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor—all of my favorite things. To make my bliss complete, I moved out to the Berkshires and found my muse waiting for me there amongst the lilacs and humming birds.

I now write Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage Life in order to share hope with others, especially teens, that no matter how tough life gets, there is always a bright spot waiting just around the corner. My published books include the award winning YA Novels, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and SAVAGE CINDERELLA, available through Amazon and B&N Booksellers.

In the year 2057, in a post-apocalyptic world where a global shift threatens the remainder of the population with extinction, sixteen-year-old genetically enhanced Lily Charmichael has more immediate problems. Her uncle is dying of cancer and her healing abilities are ineffective against the blood ties that bind them. In order to find a cure, Lily must leave the protection of her quiet town and journey into the trading city of Albany, all while avoiding the Industry, an agency that would like nothing better than to study and exploit her abilities.

Seventeen-year-old Will Callahan has been searching for his father since severe storms blasted through the Midwest, killing his mother and sister. When he learns that his father may be in the city, he catches a ride with Lily, a girl who has come to his rescue more than once. As the two embark on a dangerous journey, the attraction between them grows. But the secrets Will’s keeping could put her in far more danger than traveling to the city with him, and if he was any kind of man, he would have told her to run the minute she found him.

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lauren Hillman will be awarding a $30 BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Merissa is a faerie with no magic, no memory... and no friends. Until a hummingbird arrives with an ominous message: The Queen wants her dead.

With the help of the hummingbird Chippen, Merissa sets out on a dangerous journey to find the one faerie who may know the truth about her past. But they only find more questions when they meet Griff, a gypsy boy with pale grey eyes and one heart-melting dimple and Merissa discovers a strange connection between them. But soon her past will endanger them all.

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Nathan Crowder, welcome and thank you for agreeing to chat with us today. Where are you from?

I was born and raised in cowboy country, spending most of my life in a town in the southwest corner of Colorado where the cornerstone of the economy was tourism and the college. We had a good-sized Latin population, and were close to several reservations, the Navajo Nation being the largest, and that helped shape a lot of my world view. My dad was big into architecture and existential philosophy, and was a librarian for the college. That was pretty influential for me as well. I even wanted to be a librarian for several years as a result.

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I’m almost done with the current edit pass on my Gothic high fantasy n…

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Inside the Mind of Amy L. Gale

Ok, time to pick at my brain. Don’t worry, this isn’t an anatomy lesson. Whether it’s a crazy daydream of a random idea, we all have our own one-of- kind take on all aspects of life. Unique concepts are one of the things that make us individuals. I’m ready to share some of the thoughts ruling my brain waves.

My mind always seems to be constantly running, much quicker than my mouth, although some would disagree (ha ha). I’m always thinking up different scenarios and shaping characters to play out these roles in my brain. As an only child, I found myself desperately wishing for a playmate. Often times no one else was around so I did what anyone in that situation would do; I created imaginary friends. These i…